FTMO Buys OANDA, Forging a New Blueprint for the Global Trading Industry

PRAGUE, CZ – December 02, 2025

In a landmark move that redraws the boundaries of the online trading world, FTMO, a dominant force in modern proprietary trading, has officially completed its acquisition of OANDA Global Corporation. The deal, finalized on December 1, brings a nearly 30-year-old regulated brokerage powerhouse under the umbrella of a ten-year-old prop trading innovator. This is far more than a simple corporate takeover; it represents a strategic fusion of two distinct, yet converging, sectors of the financial industry, heralding the creation of what FTMO’s founders call a “global trading powerhouse.”

The acquisition concludes an eight-month journey that began with a purchase agreement with OANDA's previous owner, CVC Asia Fund IV. More significantly, it marks the successful navigation of a complex international regulatory maze. For FTMO, a company built on identifying and funding trading talent, this acquisition is not just an expansion—it's a transformation, catapulting it from a niche leader into a major player in the heavily regulated global brokerage arena.

Navigating the Regulatory Gauntlet

The true strategic brilliance of this acquisition lies not just in the technology or client base FTMO has obtained, but in OANDA’s extensive and hard-won regulatory passport. The eight-month approval process, which required securing clearance from five different international regulators, underscores the immense barrier to entry in the global financial services market. OANDA operates with the blessing of some of the world's most stringent financial watchdogs, including the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), among others.

For a proprietary trading firm like FTMO, which has historically operated in a less stringently regulated space by trading its own capital, obtaining such a comprehensive set of licenses organically would have been a Herculean task, likely taking years and immense capital expenditure. By acquiring OANDA, FTMO has effectively bypassed this process, gaining immediate, legitimate access to the world's most active financial markets. This move signals a significant maturation of the prop trading industry, as its leaders increasingly seek the stability and credibility that only comes with comprehensive regulatory oversight. The acquisition firmly plants FTMO's flag in the mainstream, subjecting it to the rigorous compliance standards governing client funds, risk management, and market conduct that define established brokers.

A New Blueprint for the Trader's Journey

The strategic vision articulated by FTMO’s leadership goes beyond mere market expansion. It aims to construct a seamless, integrated ecosystem that serves traders at every stage of their career. “The long-term plan is to build a trading powerhouse, which will service traders on all levels – modern prop trading, brokerage with the relevant tools,” explained Otakar Šuffner, co-founder and CEO of FTMO. He described OANDA as “the perfect fit to this vision.”

This creates a compelling new pathway for market participants. A trader can now theoretically begin their journey with FTMO's educational resources and evaluation programs, prove their skills and discipline, and gain access to a funded trading account. Upon achieving success and building capital, they could then transition to a personal trading account on OANDA’s globally regulated, multi-asset platform. This creates a powerful flywheel, attracting new talent to FTMO's prop platform while providing a natural, trusted destination for their subsequent trading activities.

This model blurs the traditional lines between prop shops and retail brokers. It addresses a critical pain point for successful prop traders: finding a reliable, well-regulated venue to deploy their personal capital. For OANDA's existing clients, the infusion of FTMO's innovative culture and focus on trader education could lead to enhanced platform features and new tools. Gavin Bambury, CEO of OANDA, noted the acquisition enables the firm to “significantly accelerate our growth, and to deliver even more innovative, integrated and smarter trading experiences for our clients.”

Consolidation and Convergence in Fintech

This deal is a bellwether for a broader consolidation trend within the fintech and online trading sectors. For years, the industry has seen a convergence of business models. Traditional brokers, seeing the appeal of the prop trading model in attracting active traders, have begun exploring similar offerings. Notably, OANDA itself had launched its own prop trading brand in the months preceding the acquisition agreement, signaling an acknowledgment of this market shift from within. FTMO's acquisition represents the most decisive move in this convergence yet.

By uniting a leading prop firm with an established broker, the new entity creates a formidable competitor with a unique value proposition that few can match. Marek Vašíček, FTMO’s co-founder and CTO, highlighted this, stating, “Together, we form a unique group of companies with extensive expertise that has not existed on the market up until now.” This puts immense pressure on both sides of the aisle. Other prop firms may now find it necessary to secure their own brokerage licenses or form strategic partnerships to remain competitive, while traditional brokers will have to contend with a new, well-funded powerhouse that has a direct funnel of proven trading talent.

The decision to maintain OANDA as a fully standalone business is a strategically astute move. It preserves the integrity of the OANDA brand, which has built nearly three decades of trust with clients and regulators. A disruptive, full-scale merger could have jeopardized this invaluable asset. Instead, FTMO can leverage OANDA’s infrastructure and licenses while carefully integrating services over time. While the financial terms were undisclosed, the fact that FTMO secured a $250 million credit line to facilitate the deal indicates its substantial scale and the high value placed on OANDA’s strategic assets, likely far exceeding the reported $162.5 million CVC paid in 2018. This combination of standalone operation and deep-pocketed backing positions the new group for aggressive but stable growth, setting a new benchmark for what a modern financial services firm can be.